Varun Gandhi (30), the youngest BJP MP from Pilibhit, had a very simple message for senior party leaders in UP, busy washing their dirty linen in public: "Spare a thought for those workers who helped build the party." Leading by example, soon after landing in Lucknow, he drove straight to Bakshi Ka Talab (BKT), to meet Ram Kumar Singh (Kakaji), an 85-year old party worker on a pacemaker.
"This man devoted his life for the party and was associated with stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when he fought his first election in Balrampur in 1957. Today he is old and ill. Workers like him, who gave their best years to the party, now need our support," he said.

Phrasing his sentences with care, Varun said, "When things are going your way, one can fight as much as one wants to. But in an adverse situation the family should unite. BJP is also a family and these elderly workers are part of the family." He said, this exercise of his wasn't a gimmick aimed at catering to the vote bank. "I don't indulge in vote bank politics. I believe that it's the credibility that matters the most. Once you have it, votes become a by-product."  He said, "This isn't the first time that I am doing so. In fact during all my public meetings I make it a point to meet elderly workers."

He parried a query on whether party workers were feeling ignored in UP but the workers, who had gathered in large numbers at the BJP office to meet him, welcomed Varun's gesture.

"It's after a long time that someone is talking of workers. Otherwise these leaders remember us only during election time and after winning conveniently forget us. We have high hopes from this Gandhi," a worker, who had come from Barabanki to "see Varun said. Though Varun preferred to keep it simple, the political implication of his visit and his gesture were already being felt. "The RSS too has been advising the BJP leaders to look inwards. Varun, who is being promoted by the Sangh ahead of the assembly elections in UP, certainly is making the right moves. You would have observed that he has started acting and speaking very maturely," a leader said.

In the evening he attended a dinner hosted for him by BJP MLA from Lucknow (east) Vidya Sagar Gupta, where several legislators and some office bearers of the UP BJP's controversial new team were also present. Some leaders, who had openly voiced their displeasure at the combination of the new UP BJP body, too were seen in Lucknow for a meeting with Varun, an indication that the young BJP MP is playing his cards well.

Varun Gandhi, (30), BJP's national secretary who has not been to the party's office in Lucknow since finding a place in Team Gadkari, will be arriving in Lucknow on Wednesday.

Much sought after by the BJP MLA's in UP, Varun Gandhi, who is besieged with requests from party MLAs, wanting him to address public meetings in their constituencies. He will be accorded a warm welcome on his arrival at the airport, an indication that the RSS now wants to aggressively market the 'Varun brand' ahead of the 2012 assembly elections in the state. The young leader will be interacting with party workers, who stand divided ever since the state office bearers' list was announced.

"Varun would certainly grab the attention of the media and the masses. He is quite popular among party workers too. He has not been afraid to attack the state government in his typical style. A day later, the state youth brigade would get active, to welcome their new chief. All this, hopefully would shift the focus away from the recent controversy after the announcement of the UP list. Many senior leaders have been washing their dirty linen in public ever since. The Varun-visit would hopefully charge the party cadre," a party leader said. Senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra too was in the city on Monday and former party president Rajnath Singh too is expected to arrive here soon -- an indication that BJP high command is "worried" over the recent UP developments and wants to get the party's workers to be active again.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari on Friday announced distribution of work to the party's office-bearers, with party MP and National Secretary Varun Gandhi being made election in-charge of Assam.

Varun Gandhi's appointment as election in-charge of Assam, which goes to polls next year and where the party's stakes are high, indicates an elevation in terms of importance within the party.

The work distribution was done almost four months after BJP President Nitin Gadkari announced his new team, in which Varun Gandhi was given the role of National Secretary.

The list includes names of 'prabharis' (incharge) of 35 states and union territories, six 'morchas' (fronts) and nine party cells.

Congress should be held responsible for "what happened after" the Bhopal gas tragedy, BJP MP Varun Gandhi said today and demanded a fair probe into the issue.

The BJP youth leader told reporters here that new facts are being brought to the fore by the media everyday about what happened after the Bhopal disaster and his reaction to the whole affair at this juncture would be "pre-mature".

He however, said, "The Congress is of course responsible for what happened after the tragedy".

He also demanded a fair probe to bring to justice "the culprits of Bhopal tragedy".

Earlier, he visited the Gorakhnath temple here and met local BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.

Bharatiya Janata Party national vice-president Kalraj Mishra today batted for Gandhi family scion Varun Gandhi, saying Varun is the youth mascot of the BJP and will be bestowed with more organisational responsibilities.

"Varun will be given more responsibilities in the UP elections and his attachment with the youths could restore the fortunes of the party,'' he told UNI.

The senior BJP Rajya Sabha member also said that party has started preparing itself for the coming 2012 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

''Varun had stood by his ideologies and even after facing several hardships (following lodging of criminal cases and even NSA), he never compromised on the issues,'' he said.

Mishra, who have been nominated in party's highest forum- Parliamentary Board-,said that popularity of Varun Gandhi is growing day by day and he is being appreciated for his speeches.

The BJP leader criticised the move of the Jammu and Kashmir government to impose tax on the pligrims going to Amarnath.

''Such step to impose tax on religious visit is unconstitutional and it should be withdrawn immediately,'' he demanded.

BJP firebrand leader Varun Gandhi today appealed to the youths here to join politics and called for strengthening Hindu organisations.

There is a need for good people to lead the country, the Pilibhit MP said while addressing a gathering at Kasganj, 30 kms from here.

"We will have to strengthen Hindu organisations as it is the need of the hour," he said.

Emphasising on the need to weed out corruption, Gandhi said the country was facing problems and corruption has eaten into the system from top to bottom.

He said "I am with BJP workers whenever needed. I will always stand with them at the time of peril," he said.

Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome by the people here.